Tuesday, June 29, 2010

(trafficking in women) real life protests against craigslist start

MORE: protest against craigslist certainly made an impact! Craig&Co painted over the "craigslist" sign...was that in shame? (http://bit.ly/9NWLoE) about 15 hours ago via web

STILL MORE: misguided anti-protest against craigslist; twitter: sorry but the safe thing to do is get *out* of this business! you should be able to get help but NOT to keep doing it...http://bit.ly/9V1BAk 3 minutes ago via web

A large portion of Craigslist’s profits come from the sale of commercial sexual exploitation, much of it trafficked, all of it prostituted. Craigslist normalizes and facilitates online pimping - providing an outlet and incentive, for sex traffickers to reach buyers of human beings. “By providing traffickers and johns with a virtual red light district, Craigslist is aiding, abetting and enormously profiting from sex trafficking,” says Norma Ramos, Executive Director of CATW.

Our protest is co-sponsored by 75 leading human rights and anti-trafficking organizations and prominent individuals including Equality Now, End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT-USA), Center for World Indigenous Studies, Soroptimists International of the Americas, Nevada Coalition Against Sexual Violence, Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres, Asian Americans for Community Involvement, and Gloria Steinem, author Victor Malarek, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Congresswoman Jackie Speier.

Sex trafficking is fueled by the demand for prostitution along with impunity for its buyers. According to Melissa Farley, author of 20 research articles on trafficking for prostitution, “Today, a majority of men buy sex online from women or children many of whom are trafficked or controlled by third parties. Craigslist mainstreams prostitution as ‘Adult Services’. This protest exposes these ads for what they really are: the sale of sexual exploitation, paid rape, child abuse, and trafficking.”

Craigslist has defied and defeated the efforts of Attorneys General, a high profile lawsuit and members of Congress who have tried to put an end to their facilitation of sex trafficking. Despite evidence of criminal activity associated with its website, Craigslist remains above the law. “We are sending a message to Craigslist from the human rights community that by hosting these ads they are partially responsible for much of the rank exploitation that is human trafficking,” says Ms. Ramos.

We are calling upon Craigslist to close the euphemistically named “Adult Services” section of their website, set a sex industry-free standard which would help to eliminate human trafficking on the internet.

MORE: there have already been some online (on social sites, such as twitter) but this is the first one in person that I'm aware of... hopefully it will make some serious impact and, unless craigslist truly changes, it will not be the last! ~Delia

Below and attached you will find an announcement regarding a protest the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) is organizing in partnership with Prostitution Research and Education (PRE) in front of Craigslist’s headquarters in San Francisco. Crrently, the protest is co-sponsored by 66 leading anti-trafficking organizations and prominent individuals including Gloria Steinem, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and author Victor Malarek.

I thought you may find it interesting given your blog, Craigslist Criticism. Feel free to post our announcement on your blog as well. Best, Elaine

Elaine L. Afanador

Executive Assistant

Coalition Against Trafficking in Women

P (212) 643-9895

F (212) 643-9896

www.catwinternational.org

Join Us On Thursday, July 8,2010

To Protest Craigslist at their San Francisco Headquarters

The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) in partnership with Prostitution Research and Education (PRE) and other co-sponsors will be holding a protest in front of Craigslist Headquarters in San Francisco on July 8th to bring attention to Craigslist’s facilitation of and profiting from sex trafficking. “Craigslist continues to cynically profit by functioning as an online pimp,” says Norma Ramos, Executive Director of CATW. “Craigslist is the new stroll where pimps traffic, johns buy and Craigslist profits,” says Melissa Farley, Executive Director, PRE.

Craigslist is projected to realize a 22% increase in revenue - an estimated $36 million in 2010 - largely attributable to its functioning as a virtual red light district for pimps/traffickers and johns. Craigslist displays a reckless disregard for human rights by increasingly becoming a part of the sex industry. Craigslist could act to create a sex trafficking free internet by no longer hosting prostitution ads and thereby setting an industry standard.

We invite you to join CATW, PRE and our co-sponsors who include: Gloria Steinem, Breaking Free,Equality Now, A Call to Men, End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT-USA), and many others at our protest to hold Craigslist accountable for facilitating and profiting from the rank exploitation of others.